The Fat Lady Sees
by Kate Bentley
Summary: A final paper for my AP English class that I did with a friend...written in iambic pentameter to mimic Geoffrey Chaucer's style.


Preece and Wang 5

Katherine Preece and Meng Wang

Mrs. Linda Wallenberg

AP English

30 May, 2006

The Fat Lady Sees

Down corridors of Hogwarts, there exists

A world beyond that of the normal witch

Behind the frame of each grand piece of art;

In this each painting plays its humble part.

Myself, I guard the halls of seventh floor,

And hang above the door to Gryffindor.

Though as a password-giver I do serve,

I use my idle time to just observe.

In house of Gryffindor you'll always see

Undaunted daring, nerve and chivalry.

The Hufflepuffs will work to do their part,

And thus are loyal and quite sound of heart.

The kids in Ravenclaw are of a kind:

They strive to sharpen both their wits and mind.

But those in Slytherin do not endure

The students who have blood that is not pure.

On rare occasion I encounter Peeves,

Who always has some tricks hid up his sleeves.

Though students, at first sight, think him a ghost,

He proves he's more mischievous than most.

His pointy ears show him to be unkind,

Though he's inventive and has quite a sharp mind.

Unruly eyebrows mark a large affinity

For chaos and great ingenuity.

When somersaulting 'round the school on high,

He often wears a loud, orange bow tie.

When crusading 'bout the school like spawn of hell,

It's easy to detect his hat of bells.

His ruthless, shrewd and cunning planning shows

Upon his face in his down-turned, long nose.

From time to time old Filch will show his face;

I see him giving wayward students chase.

He tries to take the trickster Peeves to task;

In my opinion, that's too much to ask.

The pussy Norris isn't far behind,

Although when trouble beckons, that feline

Is often at the short end of the wand,

Especially when Peeves gets out of hand.

And even when old Filch shouts up at Peeves,

The poltergeist still revels in rude glee.

Sometimes, before the Gryffindor abode,

Lurks the malicious Millicent Bulstrode.

The green and silver stripes on her school tie

Tells me a cunning Slytherin walked by.

Her strong jaw marks for all the school to see

That she is very pow'rful physically.

The week before her weekend Hogsmeade trips,

From other students money Millie strips,

And uses her large bulk to bully funds,

Through mean intimidation, from young'uns.

Sometimes she takes direction from Malfoy,

A cruel and quite coldhearted, pureblood boy,

Not because of her submissive nature;

For her, the cause is love, or something greater.

Requited love for Millie won't be had,

For Malfoy sees her merely as "comrade."

This sentiment I can quite understand,

Rude comments are made, not all underhand.

From her long, scraggly hair to her hooked nose,

There's no resemblance to _couleur de rose_.

The wart on her nose oozes ugly puss;

She's really isn't pulchritudinous.

And yet, despite all this, she owns a cat

(A creature that would make a better hat)

And this, I guess, shows rare compassion for

Companions; it does not gush from her pores.

More oft than not, throughout the day I spy

A certain Neville Longbottom nearby.

He paces and he ponders, strokes his chin—

"What password shall I give to get me in?"

Quite often he forgets this small detail,

And has to wait for someone else to bail

Him out of his predicament, and yet

The password he can usually get.

He's spent a night or two upon the floor,

Unable to get past the portrait door.

Sometimes I think the boy's a bit insane

(God bless him, though he can be quite a pain),

But of all people, he should have that right;

I wonder that he ever sleeps at night.

His dear parents (God bless their souls as well,

And may that harridan Lestrange go straight to hell)

Encountered cruel Death Eaters of bad taste,

Who left Alice and Frank a basket case.

I've heard he doesn't get on well with Snape,

Who can be seen breathing down Neville's nape.

The poor boy shakes, his potion bubbles black;

Snape leers and then begins verbal attack.

The large-bound text that Neville carries 'round

Is Neville's strength which Mad-Eye Moody found.

Herbology is Neville's favorite class;

It's probably the only one he'll pass.

The day winds down, the daylight fades to night,

And tired students disappear from sight.

Here comes that kitty Norris through the halls,

Her footsteps echo from the silent walls.

Neville rounds the corner with a parchment in his hand

To sleep in bed tonight he must have planned.

The password's changed since "lingonberry tart;"

I think you'll sleep outside tonight, dear heart.


End file.
